When it becomes necessary to repair or replace the pump, motor or delivery pipe of a deep well it is necessary to remove the pump and motor combination as well as the delivery pipe. Normal procedures for effecting this operation involve raising the entire pump, motor and delivery pipe combination through the utilization of a line extending downward into the well and attached to the motor and pump combination. As the entire water pumping assembly of the well is raised the upper sections of the delivery pipe are successively disconnected until the entire delivery pipe string has been disassembled and the motor and pump combination have been lifted from the upper end of the well. If the well uses only a one inch delivery pipe and the well 260 feet deep, the water trapped within the delivery pipe for the well weighs approximately 100 pounds. This weight is of course in addition to the weight of the entire delivery pipe and the motor and pump assembly. Accordingly, it is usually necessary to use a hoist or crane to effect the necessary lifting operation, particularly in view of the fact that the operation is time-consuming in that each individual delivery pipe section must be disconnected from the remainder of the delivery pipe string as it reaches the top of the well. Further, an operation of this type also results in a considerable amount of water being discharged from each pipe section at the top of the well as successive pipe sections are disconnected from the remaining delivery pipe string.
In order to appreciably reduce the weight of the motor, pump and delivery pipe system as it is being raised out of a well bore various structures have been provided for releasing the water standing in the delivery pipe prior to attempting to lift the water pumping assembly from the well. Examples of such previous structures as well as other structures including some of the general operational features of the instant invention are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,362,478, 3,922,115, 3,292,555, 3,011,553, 581,936, 422,535, 374,731 and 300,880. However, most of these previously known devices incorporate unnecessarily complex structures and are not specifically designed to serve the dual function of not only releasing the water standing in a deep well but to also provide a means for lifting the entire pumping assembly from the well.
Accordingly, a need exits for a simplified structure by which the water standing in the delivery pipe of a deep well pump may be drained therefrom and also used as a means for lifting the entire water pumping assembly from the well.